Sildar
"The Sunshine Province," Sildar, juts off a peninsula forming Aloria's western coast. Geography and enviroment ]] Sildar adjoins the Verranderlijke Ocean and the states of Ultran to the east, Gavonshire to the southeast and Krentori to the south. With an area of 192,300 km2 it is the third largest state in Aloria in size, after Kurmal and Gavonshire. Sildar has 11 districts, and it's largest cities are Sildar City (wich is the state capital) and Ceres. Sildar City is also the fourth largest city in Aloria. In the middle of the state lies the central valleys, bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the yellow Mountains to the east. The Central Valleys are Sildars agricultural heartland and grows approximately 20% of the nation's food. The Yellow Mountains include has as highest peak the Mount Helen, 3,421 m. The range embraces Rushdale Valley, home of the famous Alorian Lion, and San Bernardo National Park, an essential exotic bird habitat. Sildar is one of the most ecologically diverse regions of the world. It is home to many endangered ecosystems. About 45 percent of the state's total surface area is covered by forests, known by his diversity of tree species. Sildas contained forestlnd is unmatched by any other state. The southernmost part of Sildar is seperated from the rest of the state by the Yellow River, the northern portion of the Krentori River Delta. The Yellow River and Bayou River serves as a critical water supply hub for the state. Water is routed through an extensive network of canals and pumps out of the delta, that traverse nearly the length of the state, including the Central Valleys Project. Water from the Delta provides drinking water for nearly 32 million people, almost two-thirds of the state's population, and provides water to farmers on the north side of the Yellow River Valley. Along the Sildarian coast are two major metropolitan areas: the Sildar Bay Area and Ceres. Sildar is famous for earthquakes due to a number of faults, in particular the St. Vincent Fault. It is vulnerable to tsunamis, floods, winds, wildfires, and landslides on steep terrain, and has several inactive volcanoes. Climate Sildar's climate, like most of Aloria, is Humid Continental. Cool, rainy winters, and hot, dry summers prevail throughout the year in most of the state. The regions east of the coastal mountains, and the Yellow River valley, are warmer and rainier, giving life to thriving subtropical forests. Northern parts of the state average higher annual rainfall than the south. Sildars mountain ranges influence the climate as well: some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. Northwestern Sildar has a temperate climate. The high mountains, including the Yellow Mountains, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and mild to moderate heat in summer. The east side of Sildars mountains has a drier rain shadow. The low plains east of the southern Yellow mountains experience mild summers and cold winters. Ecology Ecologically, Sildar is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities, and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions. Sildars large number of endemic species includes relict species which have died out elsewhere. Other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions. Many Sildar endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. Sildar is the home of many different animals, like the Alorian Lion, an endangered animal who lives deep in the forests of Sildar. To the east of the Yellow Mountains, towards the Kaunlaran River Valley, lies an area known as an essential migratory bird habitat. The mountains of eastern Sildar have a cooler and wetter climate, and are home to temperate coniferous forests, including the Yellow Mountains forests and Northern Sildar coastal forests. These forests are home to some of the world's largest trees, the Coast redwood of the Northern Sildar coastal forests, and the Giant Sequoia, which lives in scattered groves in the Yellow Mountains forests. The Central Valley has been mostly converted to farms and rangeland; its once great seasonal wetlands have been drained and its perennial bunch grasses replaced by exotic annual grasses or farm fields, but patches of the native bunchgrasses still exist, as do some of the small seasonal wetlands known as vernal pools. Demographics and culture Although most of the land in Sildar contains remote forests and barren valleys, the coastal areas and the area around the capital Sildar City are densely populated. Most people live in either Sildar City or Ceres. Sildar City has the largest university in the country, the University of Sildar. Sildar is also home to two districts run by the communist/socialist alliance after the uprising in the early 2730s. Sildar is Aloria's wealthiest province, and its most progressive. Its political elite realize the province is surrounded on the one side by the intensely conservative Ultran, and on the other side by provinces committed to libertarianism. In such an environment, Sildar's chief concern is for the devolution of power to provincial governments. Economy Sildar is the home of several significant economic regions such as Sildar Beach (entertainment and tourism), the Sildarian Central Valley (agriculture, mostly vines, cereals, fruit and dairy) and Tech Valley (computers and high tech). Sildar draws significant revenue from international trade and tourism, and is the whealtiest region of Aloria. The exports of goods made in Sildar is 40% of the nations total export. 21% of that total was computers and electronics, followed by transportation, non-electrical machinery, agriculture, and chemicals. Sildar trade and exports translate into high-paying jobs for over five million Sildarians. Agriculture Technology The San Antonio Valley (also known as Tech Valley), north of Sildar city, reffered to all the high-tech businesses in that area; it is now generally used as a metonym for the high-tech sector. Tech Valley continues to be the leading high-tech hub because of its large number of engineers and venture capitalists. Tourism The Sildar Bay Area receives the most tourism in the state. Sildar Beach boasts an adult theme park atmosphere, brimming with luxury hotels and casino's, and refers to the glittering, superficial nature of Sildar Beach and the movie industry. Sildar's lush forests also draw thousands of eco-tourists each year. Government see: List of Minister-Presidents of Sildar Image:Sildarcity.jpg|Sildar City Image:Ceres_City.jpg|Ceres Image:Sildarbeach.jpg|Sildar Beach Image:Sildarbeachstudios.jpg|Sildar Beach Studio Complex Image:University_of_Sildar.jpg|University of Sildar Image:Walburghotel.jpg|Walburg Plaza Hotel Image:Sildar_Central_Valley.JPG|Central Valley Image:Tech_Valley.gif|Tech Valley Image:Sildarforest.jpg|Sildars Forests (1) Image:Sildarforest2.gif|Sildars Forests (2) Image:Xerestemple.jpg|Xeres Indian Temple Image:Ruinsholyempire.jpg|Ruins of the ancient Holy Alorian Empire